The State of the World in 2025
As 2025 comes to a close, we have witnessed numerous challenges: wars, famines, and political and economic leaderships more focused on imposing their will rather than assuming responsibilities that dignify life, beliefs, preferences, and expand freedom of expression. Simultaneously, this year has continued to amplify violence and exclusion processes in all their forms: illegal substance trafficking, arms, environmental destruction, increased corruption levels, harsh and inhumane migration processes, femicides, disappearances, and crime.
Historical Sociabilization Processes and Economic-Political Models
These historical sociabilization processes and economic-political models governing our means of coexistence and communication are fostering cruelty, apathy, and great desolation. The focus has shifted to short-term production, profit maximization, immediate crisis response, and self-interest, disregarding the consequences for others and prioritizing “I” over “we” culture.
The Decline of Solidarity and Community Strengthening
This year has exposed the erosion of solidarity and community strengthening, prompting us to pause and reflect on what has transpired and where we are headed. As Byung-Chul Han, a Korean philosopher based in Germany, recently received the Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities, his critical reflections on contemporary society highlight how it has transformed into a society of self-improvement and introspection, losing its inner life significance and focusing on excessive consumption that commodifies all possibilities of coexistence.
The Impact of Globalization and Digital Era
This new coexistence model, developed in globalization and amplified by the digital era, has altered social interaction forms, primarily undermining our ability to maintain distance, safeguard personal space, think, and discern. Daily reminders of this chronic weakening showcase our diminishing capacities for organization, protection, creation, and environmental conservation, all responding to an uncontrolled acceleration without critical examination.
Loss of Respect in Societies and Democracies
Byung-Chul Han emphasizes that societies have lost respect, which is the ability to maintain distance and acknowledge differences—essential for recognizing one another. Our democracies have lost this respect, the capacity to observe, listen, and embrace heterogeneity that enables society to hear itself, think, and engage in dialogue. Without respect, there is no capacity for the public realm, as everything becomes a cruel, vulgar, and disrespectful spectacle.
Aggression, Indiscretion, and Humiliation in Digital Communication
The lack of respect today implies that aggression, indiscretion, and humiliation (the “shitstorm” in digital communication) become attributes displaying power and means to attain it, without realizing these social interaction forms only strengthen self-exploration, self-destruction, dehumanization, loneliness, and isolation.
Redefining Indignation
One of the most alarming symptoms of this precarization is global indignation, which has focused more on attracting attention than producing public discourse leading to consistent agendas and actions. Indignation should not solely be associated with rebellion, hysteria, or obstinacy, as Han suggests in his essay “In the Swarm,” but rather with discreet, clear communication that identifies strongly with the community, replacing “I” with “we,” demonstrating responsible and communal care.
Turning Anger into Collective Action
When genuinely outraged, producing collective action resources from anger is crucial rather than individual catharsis. This approach enables society to interrupt the status quo and foster possibilities where none existed before, dignifying pain and advocating for “no more” in all its forms through public discourse.
Key Questions and Answers
- What challenges has 2025 presented? The year has seen wars, famines, and leadership focused on imposing will rather than assuming responsibilities that dignify life, beliefs, and expand freedom of expression. Violence and exclusion processes have also amplified.
- How have societal and economic-political models contributed to these issues? These models have fostered cruelty, apathy, and desolation by prioritizing short-term production, profit, immediate crisis response, and self-interest.
- What is the significance of Byung-Chul Han’s work? His critical reflections on contemporary society highlight the transformation into a self-improvement and introspection-focused society, losing inner life significance and focusing on excessive consumption.
- How has globalization and the digital era impacted social interaction? These forces have altered social interaction forms, undermining our ability to maintain distance, safeguard personal space, think, and discern.
- What is the importance of respect in societies and democracies? Respect enables acknowledging differences, which is essential for recognizing one another. Its absence results in a cruel, vulgar, and disrespectful public realm.
- How should indignation be redefined? Indignation should focus on discreet, clear communication identifying strongly with the community, replacing “I” with “we,” and demonstrating responsible and communal care.
- How can anger be turned into collective action? When genuinely outraged, society should develop resources for collective action from anger rather than individual catharsis, dignifying pain and advocating for “no more” through public discourse.
